Elizabeth
by Musetta31
Summary: The doctors said she'd never live to see her sweet sixteen. It's a miracle she beat those odds..." How does the Prince of Punk react to the Deadman's dying daughter? Based on the song by Billy Gilman.


_So I've been in a weird mood for the last couple days, and I felt the need to write something. Because this song means a lot to me. So I decided I'd use it and see if it makes whatever weird feeling I have go away._

_I own nothing but Elizabeth. Muses just took over._

* * *

A small red-head walked down the hallway to the locker room door. She squinted at the name for a moment before knocking. "Daddy?" she asked.

Mark opened the door and smiled down at her. "Elizabeth, what're you doing out here, baby?" He petted her head a bit, despite her age. "I thought I told you to stay with Phil."

She let out a sigh. "I know. But I was bored. He was ranting about the feud he's having with Regal. I don't think he's even noticed I'm gone."

The man chuckled. "Why don't you go hang out with Jeff and Matt then?"

Elizabeth scrunched her nose. "They're boring. Is Shannon here tonight?"

"He's probably in with the Hardys honey. Why don't you go see them?"

She sighed. "Fine then... Get ready for your match. I expect you to win out there, young man!" she said jokingly.

Mark pulled his best Deadman glare, but that only made her laugh. "Get going!"

She smirked at him, wrapping her arms as far around him as they would go, and went skipping away, singing a song she'd had dedicated to her a long time ago.

The man watched her go, letting out a small sigh. "Girl's got more energy than someone with eternal life."

XsXeX

Pulling her hair up into a ponytail, Elizabeth walked into the Hardy locker room without knocking. She laughed at the surprise on the faces of the men before her. "Hey Uncle Jeff, Uncle Matt. Shannon! You are here!"

The blond being spoken to laughed a bit, wrapping the girl in a hug. "Hey there Miss Elizabeth. How've you been?"

The carrot top smiled wide. "Not bad. Sick of the doctor's office."

The brothers behind them met each other's eyes, concerned. "What's the doctor's office been saying?" Jeff's drawl intoned.

Elizabeth sighed. "The usual. I'm doing surprisingly well, but make the most of everything. Call if I start to bleed a lot. Don't do too much physical activity. You get it." She shook her head. "I still have to meet a few people. Shelley and Sabin have been on my list for a while, and so have Styles and Daniels." She turned her gaze back to Shannon. "You need to get me tickets, because Daddy trusts me with you."

The blond laughed a bit in spite of the seriousness of the conversation. "I will, Elizabeth, I will. I promise. How's next week's show? I'll even get Shelley and Sabin to let you go out there as their manager for a night."

Her face lit up. "Promise?"

"Promise."

The girl smiled and went to sit on a couch, pulling out her iPod. The men had to get ready for their matches, after all.

Once sure the girl wouldn't hear them, the boys started talking. "She seems like she's still doin' real good," Jeff said quietly.

Matt nodded. "Yeah, but they said it would be like that. That's why Mark's got us watchin' her so close."

Shannon sighed. "Her mama must be so scared now that she's not at home with her."

The rainbow-haired man shook his head. "That woman's been worried since that girl left the womb. It's been, what, five years since she was supposed to be gone? You'd be scared too, Shan."

The blond looked over his shoulder at the carrot top girl with bright blue eyes. "Ah feel bad. She looks like she's not scared of anything." He shook his head. "Ah just don't get it. Why's she gotta lose everythin'?"

_**Namesake to Elizabeth  
Her daddy's **__**pride**__** and joy  
Baptized in her mama's tears soon after she was born  
'Cause the doctor said she'd never live  
To see her sweet sixteen  
It's a miracle she beat those **__**odds**__**  
And there's still no promise  
She will see tomorrow  
It makes me wonder  
How life can give someone so much and take so much away **_

XsXeX

With a sigh, Shannon pulled into the parking lot of the TNA arena. He'd gotten tickets so that the two of them could go and meet the last few people Elizabeth wanted to. He was almost hoping one of them wouldn't be there. That way, she wouldn't feel complete yet.

Next to him, in the passenger side seat, Elizabeth bounced in anticipation. "Oooh, I can't believe this, Shan! They're all scheduled for tonight!" As he pulled the car to a stop, she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Thank you soo much!"

He smiled, hugging her back. "You're welcome, Miss Elizabeth." He backed out of her hold and exited the car, walking around to her door, and opened her side as well. "Shall we then?" he asked, offering her a hand. She took it, smiling graciously, and the two started toward the arena.

XsXeX

Carrot hair pushed behind one ear, Elizabeth tickled the small child she was holding lightly. Her smile was wide when she looked up. "She's so cute, Kurt! How old is she now?"

Grinning, the Olympic Medalist replied, "Six months."

Elizabeth continued to play with the girl until the baby started falling asleep. The carrot top rocked the baby into a calm rest, putting her in her playpen carefully.

Sighing, she looked at Kurt and his wife. "You guys are so cute together. Wish I had someone I was that close to. Someone who loved me like that."

Shannon, across the room, looked down at the floor. _She has no idea_, he thought. He cleared his throat. "Don' worry, Miss Elizabeth. You've got time yet."

The carrot top looked at him, blue eyes shining strangely. "Sure I do, Shan. Sure I do."

XsXeX

Red hair hanging freely around her face, Elizabeth smiled up at the men before her. Shannon rested a hand on her shoulder, gesturing to the men. "Chris Sabin, Alex Shelley, Ah'd like you to meet Elizabeth Callaway. She's Mark's daughter, and she really wanted to meet you."

The girl held out a hand, beaming. Her eyes shone with excitement. The men both shook her hand carefully, laughing a bit. "So. What brings you here, Elizabeth?"

She shrugged. "I had a few people left to meet before... Well, I had a few people left to meet." Her eyes turned to Shannon expectantly.

Just then, the blond remembered what he'd promised. "Oh yeah. Hey, guys, you mind letting her go out to the ring with you?"

The men met each other's eyes before shrugging. "Sure. We've got the titles on the line tonight, though. It might be a bit dangerous out there."

The carrot top jumped. "It's fine! I know how to stay out of the way, I do this manager thing all the time. Thanks so much guys!"

The two looked at her with raised eyebrows for a moment before retreating to their locker room.

With a wide smile, Elizabeth turned to Shannon and threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you so much," she whispered.

He smiled, placing his hands lightly on the small of her back. "You're welcome." Then he released her, backing up a bit. "Now, c'mon girlie, we gotta get you ready to go out there. You need one of those Motor City Machine Gun tank tops to wear instead of the one you're wearin' now."

XsXeX

Shaking her head, Elizabeth walked backstage, holding her back lightly. During the match, she'd accidentally stood in a bad spot and got knocked back. Worse, even though it was planned, Shelley and Sabin had lost the match. She sighed, looking up at Shannon with disappointment in her eyes. "I feel so bad for them, Shan," she said quietly before resting her head on his shoulder.

He put a hand on her back, rubbing it lightly, when he felt her shoulders begin to shake. Unsure why, he looked to the side she could see and saw that the tag team had just come backstage as well, and they looked defeated. He sighed. "It's all right Miss Elizabeth. They don't blame you."

"I know they don't. It's not a matter of them blaming me, it's that they look like they really hated losing the titles. It didn't seem right to me. The other guys didn't even look like they cared." She took a deep breath and calmed herself, putting a hand to her cheek to wipe away the tears that had moistened it. She shook her head. "Whatever. They better get the titles back next week then."

Shannon laughed a bit, shaking his head. "You know, you never cease to amaze me with your attitude, girlie."

She shrugged, smiling at him. "What can I say? I'm one of a kind."

XsXeX

Sitting in a booth across from Shannon, the carrot top looked at her menu, thinking. She looked very concentrated, which caused Shannon to laugh a bit. Her blue eyes shot up to him. "What's so funny, girlie man?" she asked.

He raised an eyebrow. "You look like you're concentratin' so hard. It's funny. Girlie man, eh?"

She laughed. "Think about it. Your hair is longer than mine. Your eyes are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen on a guy. You have skin smoother than most of the divas. You're a girlie man."

He shook his head. "You think so." He looked down at the menu. "Ah'm gettin' french toast. Whatcha want Miss Elizabeth?"

She shrugged. "I'll get the same thing as you."

Fifteen minutes later, the two were eating a stack of stuffed french toast whilst continuing conversation. Elizabeth put her fork down and patted her stomach lightly, leaning back from her plate.

Shannon, who had done the same, looked up at her with a chuckle.

"What?" she asked. "Do I have something on my face?"

The man reached a hand out, smiling, and wiped the bit of syrup from the corner of her mouth. He let his hand rest there for a moment before pulling back.

The carrot top blushed. "You know something, Shan?" she said.

He tilted his head. "What?"

"I think... I think I like you. I mean, really like you." Elizabeth looked down at the table, eyes keeping almost out of view thanks to her hair.

The blond thought for a moment before smiling and putting his hand on her chin, making her look up at him. "Good," he said, leaning forward. "Because I really like you too." He pressed his lips to hers lightly before pulling back.

Elizabeth beamed. "That's one less thing on my list now," she said.

_**  
She might not ever marry  
Or hold a **__**baby**__** of her own  
Things we all take for granted  
Are the things she may never know  
But she believes there's always hope  
And that's all she really has  
So she walks through life with passion and  
With dignity and class  
And when she cries, she cries in silence  
But never for herself  
She cries for everybody else, for everybody else **_

XsXeX

_A year after that she was gone. My Elizabeth. Her daddy never cried so much in his life. Ah remember bein' at the funeral, and seein' the Taker cryin' like a normal person. Mark was never that emotional, not even in reality._

_That back injury was the start of it all. Ah feel bad now for bringin' her to the show, but Ah know if Ah hadn't, Ah wouldn'ta had her as long as Ah did. Shelley and Sabin even came. Everyone from both shows, all the rosters, was there. Even that one girl who never liked Elizabeth. Even she was there. Even she felt bad._

_Almost none of 'em knew Elizabeth was sick. But when she was gone, they all realized it real fast. And wondered why they didn't know. Because she never let it show, that's why._

_She taught us a few things. No one complains about their injuries now. They just get 'em checked out right away, and taken care of if they need to. They don't rant about their feuds like they're real. They value everythin' more. More 'n anythin' though, they talk to each other more often. They have real interactions now. A lot o' the guys started bringin' their kids with 'em. Guess they didn' wanna lose 'em._

_Everyone remembers her. Hell, Ah don't think she was possible to forget._

XsXeX

Backstage at RAW, Shannon looked back and forth between the two Hardys while a camera filmed. "You guys are bein' stupid! You're brothers, for Christ's sake! Fix this!"

The boys glared at each other convincingly for a few more moments before Jeff looked at the wall behind Shannon.

There was a picture there, of a small red-headed girl, with striking blue eyes. She was hugging both of the men.

The rainbow-haired man let out a sigh. "She wouldn't want this, Matt."

Matt, keeping kayfabe, shook his head. "Ah don't give a damn what she'd want." With that, the brunette man walked out of the room and the camera stopped rolling.

Instantly, Matt was back in the room, looking at the picture. "Ah'm sorry, Elizabeth. Ah didn't mean that," he whispered to it, looking down. He looked at Shannon after that. "It's a year today, ain't it Shan?"

The blond nodded. "Yeah, it is." He noticed a tear starting in the brother's eyes. "Don't y'all start. She wouldn't want ya cryin' over her now. Just go out there and do what you have ta. She understands."

The boys looked at Shannon with a smile and hugged the man before going out to the arena.

As the night went on, Superstar after Superstar after Diva went out to the ring, all stopping by the picture to pay their respects to the small red-headed girl with the lively blue eyes and unforgettable smile. At the end of the night, Shannon finally got his main event match.

Shannon had just returned from his match when Mark came in. He rested a hand lightly on the younger man's shoulder. "She woulda been proud o' you tonight, kid. Be happy."

The blond smiled up at Mark for a moment before looking at the picture. "Ah know she's proud." He looked down. "She was there tonight Mark, Ah swear it."

The Deadman raised an eyebrow. "In the rafters, huh?"

"Yeah," he smiled. "The one spot we'd never let her watch from. Ah swear she was up there. She clapped when Ah won."

Mark smiled. "Good. Ah thought she'd be here too." He looked at the picture for a moment before patting the younger man's back. "Best be gettin' back to the hotel kid. Ah'll share a room with ya."

The blond picked up the picture frame carefully and took it with him, following the older man out to his car. He got in the passenger seat and the two were quiet for most of the ride home. They were almost there when a song came on the radio that made Mark turn it up as loud as it would go without harming them both. Shannon smiled as the lyrics washed over him. _It's true, Elizabeth._

_**Oh, Elizabeth  
You're a teacher you're a saint  
And I'm so glad you came to us  
Elizabeth, you make the world a better place  
With the kindness of your smile and your love  
And your beauty will live on and on **_

* * *

_Ah, and there it is, the ending. It's a sad little oneshot. Again, if you like Elizabeth and would like to see more, inform me and I will continue. Shannon calls the girl Miss Elizabeth because it's a gentlemanly thing to say, and it just seemed to fit this particular story pretty well. Obviously, italics throughout the story were Shannon's thoughts, and the way he spoke was for accent purposes. Elizabeth is not the well-known Miss Elizabeth, to clear up any confusion._

_So! Reviews, please! They make me a very happy person. And that's the bottom line..._


End file.
